Meet Aiyana, a seasoned Pvtiste from Buckinghamshire, UK, who has explored the world on various working holiday visas (WHVs). After adventures in Australia and New Zealand, Aiyana spent over a year in Canada, experiencing the vast landscapes and vibrant city life. From the bustling streets of Toronto to the stunning vistas of the Rocky Mountains and an unforgettable cruise from Vancouver to Alaska, her journey is a testament to the joys and challenges of life on a WHV. Despite not falling in love with Toronto, Aiyana's spirit for travel didn't wane, leading her to continue exploring Canada's beauty before contemplating her next steps back in the UK. Curious about how she navigated the ups and downs of such a dynamic lifestyle? Dive into her full story and gather some invaluable tips for your own WHV adventure!
In this interview, we check back in with Aiyana one year and 5 months after her first interview from March 2024!
pvtistes
Can you please introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Aiyana. I’m 31 years old from Buckinghamshire, UK. I’ve previously been on working holiday visas (WHVs) in Australia and New Zealand, and have just spent the last year and a bit on a WHV in Canada!
pvtistes
How did you spend the first year of your WHV in Canada?
I based myself in Toronto but I travelled as much as I could in this time, whether it was weekends away in Ontario or longer trips to different parts of the country. I also went back to the UK over Christmastime; it was a very last-minute decision made after realising how much I couldn’t cope with Canadian winter!
pvtistes
What were some of the highlights? Or something memorable.
Meeting up with my friend from Australia in Calgary to do the Stampede and the Rocky Mountains together, or taking a Vancouver to Alaska cruise (with a stop in the Yukon) for my 30th birthday. These are the moments where I’m grateful for my WHV life: exploring the most beautiful scenery in the world with people I’d have never met if I hadn’t left home!
pvtistes
Did you like your time in Toronto?
I really enjoyed the summer there but as soon as the weather turned, so did my mood. From about November onwards, I had a gut feeling I wasn’t going to want to stay there for the full two-year WHV. It’s a city that comes alive in summer, and it would be a great place to live if you could have sunshine and happiness year-round. But the summer is so short, and then you have to endure months of darkness and depression!
pvtistes
What did you try to make it work, and at what point did you finally accept that the city just wasn’t for you?
First, I tried making the most of the experience and enjoying wintery activities in Canada. Unfortunately, I’m just not into skiing or ice skating, so nothing really appealed to me. Going home was the turning point; once I came back to Toronto, all I could see was how much better life outside of Toronto was compared to my life in Toronto.
pvtistes
So what did you decide to do instead of staying put in Toronto?
I went travelling! When I’ve been on working holidays before, I’ve never stayed in one spot for longer than a few months (Melbourne’s the longest I’ve managed at around 10 months). Even if I’d loved Toronto, my nature wouldn’t have been to settle, but to keep moving. The whole point of why I do WHVs is to see more of a new country and culture, not to stay put. So, I hit the road again and worked on completing my Canada travel bucket list.
pvtistes
You could have stayed even longer in Canada. Why not the full two years?
I’ve been to Canada several times before this WHV, so I didn’t have as much travel I needed to achieve. There’s a few places I didn’t manage to get to that I’d love to do one day, like the Northern Territories or Nunavut; they just aren’t feasible with my budget right now. Since I feel like I’ve seen everything I wanted to at this time, and winter is going to be here again soon, it feels like the right time to finish. Plus, I’ve already got my sights set on other countries (not for a WHV, but just to keep travelling).
pvtistes
Do you have any regrets?
No, never! Even though I didn’t end up loving Toronto, I still made some brilliant friends and got to explore a lot more of the province from there, so it was worth it.
pvtistes
Do you have any advice for people wanting to go to Canada on a working holiday?
Go for it! My advice has always been to try because you would regret not trying. You have nothing to lose—I’m living proof that if you try a WHV and it’s not right for you, you can leave again, no stress! My other piece of advice would be to bring as much money as you possibly can… This country is expensive, and the cost of living is definitely another factor as to why I’ve chosen not to stay.
pvtistes
What are your plans for the UK?
I don’t have an exact plan. I want to finally get my Irish passport (my Dad is Irish) so I have the option of an EU country in the future. But at the same time, I’ve been travelling on and off for almost the last decade of my life. I love to travel, but I’m getting tired of the constant moving around and starting from scratch, so I also want to give settling at home a real go!
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